Galeazzo Alessi

Galeazzo Alessi ( * 1512 in Perugia, † December 30, 1572 ) was an Italian architect who was influenced by the Roman High Renaissance, meaning that he joined lush Architecture ( arcades, loggias, stairs, vestibules and other ) with landscape and thus paving the way of the Italian Baroque was. He was probably a pupil of Gian Battista Caporali.

Alessi fascinated by the architecture of antiquity. He copied the style, which helped him across Europe to fame.

In Rome, where he studied from 1536-1542, he met Michelangelo Buonarroti, whose work influenced his style from now on.

From 1542-1544 he built in Perugia at the fortress Rocca Paolina, then on the Via Nuova and in the church of S. Maria del Popolo.

From 1548 Alessi was established in Genoa. One of his major works there is the construction of the harbor with guardhouse ( 1550), the Strada Nuova (now Via Garibaldi) with some of the most beautiful palaces of Genoa, also suburban villas with remarkable staircases and colonnades on the hillside, as well as numerous churches. The main work here under is the church of Santa Maria Assunta dei Carignano, which was begun in 1552. Other examples of his art are palaces ( Palazzo Municipale ) and churches in Milan, some parts ( church and monastery ) of the Escorial in Madrid and numerous churches and monuments in Sicily, Flanders and Germany.

The young Rubens was fascinated by his work so much that he made a series of drawings for these buildings, which were published in 1622 under the title Palazzi di Genova.

Alessi also designed the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli ( Assisi ) in Assisi, one of the largest churches of Christendom (1568).